


ringing in

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles You Will Be Drunk, Drinking, Erik You WIll Be Drunk, Gen, Purim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-03 10:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/697422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik has a plan for how to celebrate Purim, but it really just confuses Charles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ringing in

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "Holiday" square on my trope-bingo card. Bated by **ninemoons42**.
> 
> Erik's ideas of Purim are a weird short of hybrid of what I experienced in college Purim parties, which is to say that Erik's ideas are probably not wholly true. Some of his ideas are very true to what I've heard for certain types of parties.

Charles is still fuzzy on the details of their plans for the night, but Erik seems as confident as always, his emotions crashing into Charles as he walks into their rooms. That puts Charles’ mind at ease as he looks around their beat-up living room table, currently covered with bottles of alcohol. He has a hazy memory of something involving drinking on their schedule for this particular Saturday night, but he cannot place the details exactly.

“So what’s this about again?” he asks instead of trying to read Erik’s mind for the details.

“We’re going to listen to a reading of the Book of Esther, and every time they mention Haman, we drink.” Erik nods towards the bottles as if he has explained everything.

“That seems dubious,” is all Charles can say in response.

“Well, it might be my tradition for us here. Normally, if I were at shull for this, we’d ring noisemakers every time his name is read, but drinking is more fun. Right? It also sort of combines the idea of listening to the story, and the drinking that's done at the meal after the story - drinking to the point of passing out. So, we’re good?”

Charles eyes the bottles quickly, trying to decide if Erik has gone mad or if he is the most brilliant roommate Charles has ever known. It is hard to tell because Erik has found a way to pick out all of Charles’ favorite drinks, clearly one more notch for “best roommate ever” but it is tempting after the week--and the semester--Charles has had so far. It is not enough that they have not yet reached midterms and Charles has five problem sets and at least two labs due before the end of next week.

Drinking seems like the perfect solution.

“We’re good.”

If there is any shame left between him and Erik, Charles would say that flopping onto their couch was anything but dignified, but as it stands, Erik pays him no attention as he looks around for mixers and whatever else he's got on his mind. Charles cannot bring himself to care as he stares at the bottles.

“We’re going to go through all of this?” he asks once Erik has passed him for the third time in ten minutes.

“We’re fuckin’ trying. It'll be a drink each time, not a shot. That way, we won’t be able to tell the difference between his name and anything else at the end. It’s a night to forget everything else.”

“Again, I don’t think that’s the point,” Charles adds when Erik finally sits down next to him.

“Maybe, but you look like you could use a night on which you forget shit, and it’s my holiday so I’m changing the rules to suit our needs. So, we’re going to listen to this CD and drink. Or is your liver not ready for all this?”

Charles lets out a half-hearted scoff, even as the idea of washing away the week becomes more appealing with each passing minute. “Okay, you have some points, and my liver has been getting its workout since I was fourteen, thank you very much. Or are you not ready to see me drink you under the table?”

Erik laughs, a sound that rises all through his body and reverberates into Charles’ space. It feels good, and speaks louder than anything Erik could say. Once he stops laughing, he pours each of them one large drink, and then pours another six drinks for good measure after that.

The remote for their stereo floats over to Erik and he hits play. The room fills with the voice of a very nice woman with an accent before the story begins.

Charles is only half-paying attention to the words, but as soon as Erik shifts to reach for a glass, he follows and they each take a long pull from their glasses. It burns a little, but it filters through Charles quickly and he relaxes more as the story continues.

He drops the first glass after the fifth time Haman’s name is said, and grabs for another one, sloshing some of the vodka out at the same time. Erik only looks at his party foul and waits for the next time that name will be heard.

They stay like that for another hour, drinking all the way through; by the end,Charles has no idea what time it is, or how many drinks he had, but that helps.

Erik leans into him and has no capacity to say anything, but the fuzzy feeling radiating from him is enough to tell Charles that they drank more than enough and that they will each feel it tomorrow.

Maybe that is the point? Charles makes a sluggish mental note to ask tomorrow. For now, he just wants to sleep and forget.


End file.
